Some Branding History
In the old west ranchers would use a hot metal iron to mark their livestock to prevent theft or confusion with other herds. You know the old plot: cattle rustlers stealing head of cattle or bitter rivalries erupting between gruff ranchers over the suspicion of theft. These story lines could account for entire seasons of any one of the classic westerns we watched as kids. The mark, or brand, ranged from a simple line to complex shapes and symbols. The brand became the symbol for the ranch and an integral part of the rancher's identity.
This form of marking or branding evolved at the turn of the century when the market was inundated by many different variations of the same product. Instead of protecting a product from theft by a "rustler," brands now protected a product from the competitors. With increased distribution and production methods markets that once only had a single producer now had many. Unlike the days where consumers bought your grain because it was the only choice, it became necessary to differentiate one's product from the competition. Modern branding was born. The simple placement of your name or brand on your packaging could sway buyers your way.
As production techniques advanced and distribution grew so did customers. Through technology, information spread more quickly and to more people. Knowledge that was once the treasure of an elite few became common. With the power of knowledge, people began to have more and more influence on the world around them. People started to make decisions based on more than what was put in front of them.
Branding in the Internet Age
Now, in this modern age of the Internet the market has grown in to a complex system of advertising and distribution channels. Our customers are armed with unlimited information. In the past, there were simple ways to differentiate ourselves from the competition. Specialty, size, process, service, price - these were all ways to gain an advantage over rival products. But in today's world our customers are presented with a myriad of choices that all meet the same criteria. It becomes impossible to differentiate your product based merely on the physical attributes of our brand.
So how do we do it? If we cannot win with an appeal to the brain, we must speak to their hearts. People will embrace our brand when they feel it, not just when they see it. When logic does not present a clear winner, they will rely on the ethereal to make the choice so we must convey the feeling, or experience of our brand as well as the logic of it. How well we communicate that experience with our customers online is what differentiates us from our competitors. On the web, we have done amazing things with product catalogs, databases, and e-commerce. The web has become a resource for consumers. Product information can easily accessed with a quick search. And that information can be a very valuable sales tool. Educated customers come ready to buy. Where we fall short is in communicating the experience of our products. Imagine if a car commercial was like a typical web site. A picture of the car, a list of features, price, and a big buy now button. All of the information a consumer needs to make a decision, right? But somehow that big buy now button isn't increasing our bottom line. The information is there but its just not as exciting as two cars blasting, hot-wheels style out of a tunnel to a Led Zeppelin song. It doesn't convey the experience of driving that car.
Of course, the web isn't the same as a television ad. We can blast the cars out of a tunnel and we can certainly get Robert Plant to belt out a couple notes in an mp3, one way or another. However, unlike the advertising channels that preceded it, the web requires us to think more about how our customers interact with our products. A television ad requires a customer's attention span for 30 seconds. A print ad such as a billboard need only capture the customer's attention for a fleeting moment as they whiz by on the freeway.
Capitalize on the Web
The mercurial nature of the web requires a compelling hook to snag the customer's interest for a few seconds and not much more. But imagine if you had to create a 10 minute ad. Remember the last time you were sitting in traffic. How long did that billboard stay interesting? What if television viewers could look at a complete list of features of a car in a television ad or order a pair of shoes from a billboard?
The ideal lies in the marriage of information and experience. Show your customers why your product is the logical choice but also make them feel it in their hearts. On the web, we have the ability to do just that.
We have proven that we can tap the vast libraries of information and product databases on the Internet and display them to our customers in an organized fashion. But first we need to make an emotional impact. Whether it be humor, empathy, or inspiration we need to make a meaningful connection with our customers. This connection will engage our users and compel them to delve deeper and explore. |